8 Ways That Cars Are Likely to Change over the Next Decade

Quite a bit can change in a decade, particularly in a quickly evolving industry like car manufacturing. Many experts predict that the next 10 years could bring some significant developments in automotive history.

In this article, we look at eight new technologies you can expect to find in new cars in the not-too-distant future, and how they could change driving forever.

1. More Autonomous Cars

In 2017, Forbes predicted the arrival of 10 million self-driving cars by 2020. With several high-profile accidents in the last year, we still have some way to go before self-driving cars enter the mainstream. Although that prediction proved to be very wide of the mark, if you have yet to see an autonomous car on the road, the chances are that you will before very long.

From programming vehicles to adhere to the laws of the land, to deciding who should go first at a four-way stop, automobile manufacturers are far less aggressive than they once were regarding a timeline for rolling out these groundbreaking new technologies. They are increasingly prioritizing safety over progress after a spate of serious accidents, and subsequent litigation, in pilot programs. While their introduction may have been delayed, they will one day be ubiquitous.

2. Augmented Reality Will Change the Way We View the Road

While virtual reality is completely immersive, augmented reality effectively enhances what we actually see before our eyes with a layer of visual data.

Entering the mainstream after the popularity of Pokemon Go, augmented reality is increasingly being integrated into modern cars, not as a video game, but augmented reality windshield displays that overlay your actual view through the windshield with GPS mapping.

3. Virtual Visors Will Shield Your Eyes from Glare

Most motorists have had been dazzled while driving. Glare can be incredibly dangerous when you are behind the wheel, and it is a particular problem at sunrise and sunset. Although polarized sunglasses can help, they do not eliminate the phenomenon completely and not everyone has them.

Bosch recently won a CES award for its digital sun visor. This new technology darkens selected areas at the top of the windshield, protecting the driver’s eyes from glare.

4. Vehicles Will Communicate with Each Other

Vehicle-to-vehicle communication enables cars to communicate with vehicles around them, wirelessly exchanging data relating to speed and positioning. Experts predict that the technology could potentially prevent hundreds of thousands of collisions.

Although vehicle-to-vehicle communication technology is already a feature of some modern cars, it needs to be widespread to work effectively. It soon will be. Analysts predict that by 2023, 60 percent of new cars will incorporate this groundbreaking new technology.

5. Cars Will ‘Ping’ Pedestrians

5G will speed up mobile data connections exponentially. Harman has developed a device that uses ultra-fast bandwidth to monitor for hazards in a car’s path, pinging not only other cars, but also cyclists or pedestrians who get in the way. Called Cellular Vehicle to Everything or C-V2X, this potentially life-saving technology will be featured in new models from 2022 onwards.

6. Electric Cars Will Become Mainstream

With freak weather events becoming an increasing concern in countries all over the world, the issue of climate change can no longer be ignored.

Today, the most American cars run on gasoline, with less than 1 percent powered by electricity. Nevertheless, automakers are shifting to electric technology in ever-increasing numbers. Analysts predict that by 2035, electric vehicles will account for around a quarter of all new car sales in the United States, rising to 60 percent by 2050.

7. Your Car Will Start Monitoring You

Advanced Driver Assistance Systems are sophisticated technologies that read sensors within the driver’s seat. As soon as the driver gets into the car, they start monitoring the sensors, with a glucose reader monitoring blood sugar and an electrocardiography reader measuring heart health.

In addition, just as facial recognition software is becoming an increasingly common component of many other industries, from mobile phones to law enforcement agencies, Hyundai has incorporated it into its luxury Genesis brand, using facial recognition and biometrics to recognize the car owner.

8. Airbags Will Move outside the Car

General Motors and Ford were the first American car manufacturers to start featuring airbags in their cars, incorporating the life-saving technology in models from the 1970s onwards. Airbags have evolved over the years, with modern vehicles incorporating not just one for the driver, but several as standard. Now they are evolving even further.

Mercedes-Benz has developed a new generation of airbags that do not deploy inside the car, but underneath it. Instead of cushioning bodies within the car to stop them from impacting with the windshield, steering wheel, or dashboard, these external airbags blast from the car’s front axle when the safety system senses that a crash is imminent, lifting the front of the car and acting as an emergency brake to bring the vehicle to a halt.